Saturday, 10 January 2009

Just in time

After all the shenannigans of keeping a car since xmas; off I trundled, arriving back in Norfolk about 4.00pm. At 5.30 the hospital rang to say mother's hospital admission was unlikely to go ahead the next day. I did explain that they might want to consider a number of factors when prioritising beds (given that my sister had already driven over from Wales in December and deposited her at the hospital for 7.00am-only to be sent home again at 4.00pm without op)! Conversation fell on stony ground. "Well ring in the morning," I did, "we don't know yet" I rang 2 hours later, "we don't know yet". 3/4 hour later, "come in". Arrived in upper corridors of vast hospital to be met by anaethetist, consultant and ward nurse, "why weren't you here at 12.00?"Deugh, grrrrrrrrrrrr! All is now sorted, however, they moved her to 2 different wards before I collected her in the morning-you really don't need that sort of stress; especially at the age of 90.

Meanwhile, back at the boats, another drama was going on. On Thursday, they were still exactly where I'd left them-totally iced in at Kilby bridge, together with nb Balmaha and a rapidly approaching date of Monday for the closure of Freemans Meadow lock ahead of them. Tales of heroic ice breaking took place to get them off of the canal onto the less iced River Soar. So I drove back in the general direction of Leicester & waited for an update as to where they were; eventually Daisy and I were reunited with our home.

Today we cleared the lock they are closing and moored up at the secure castle moorings in the centre of Leicester-look whats on the barge behind us - I think I know where those are going tomorrow morning! One VERY unhappy Daisy has been confined to barracks and is taking it out on Muttley as it's not safe for her whilst we are moored to this floating pontoon. Leicester centre does have some fantastic architecture but, having been away for 5 days, I just want to get back in to open countryside.

2 comments:

Only just found your blog, I expected a coment about it from Caxton as you were traveling with them.We left the boat at Debdale for a repaint after breaking the ice for you from Foxton. You must have been the last boats to take water there.ditchcrawler@gmail.com